Julia Roberts Couldn’t Believe Octavia Spencer Was Starring in a ‘Murder, She Wrote’ Reboot Series
Actor Octavia Spencer was supposed to be the star of a contemporary version of Angela Lansbury’s Murder, She Wrote. When she told Julia Roberts the news, however, Roberts couldn’t contain her shock.
How Julia Roberts reacted to Octavia Spencer doing a ‘Murder, She Wrote’ reboot
Murder, She Wrote was once due for a modern makeover. There weren’t too many details provided about Spencer’s newer version of the series. What was known at the time was that Spencer’s character would be slightly different than Lansbury’s. Aside from the differences in skin color, Spencer was going to portray a Hospital administrator and mystery writer. This would’ve been slightly different than Lansbury’s version, who was a successful mystery writer on top of being a skilled detective.
The ages of the characters would’ve been considerably different at the time. The late Lansbury was already in her 50 to 60s during the first season of Murder, She Wrote. If the series debuted in the 2010s like it was supposed to, Spencer would’ve been in her 40s.
The news hadn’t hit Julia Roberts or Emma Thompson at the time. Spencer was speaking with both actors about the craft of acting in The Hollywood Reporter’s Round Table. When Roberts heard that Spencer would be playing Angela Lansbury’s part, she was surprised Murder, She Wrote was still a thing.
“Wait a minute, Murder, She Wrote is still on TV,” Roberts asked.
Thompson also wondered if Spencer was going to portray Angela Lansbury’s character. Spencer had to explain to both actors her decision to take on the role.
“I’m a short, cute, chubby woman. There are fewer and fewer roles that I haven’t done already, or archetypes that I haven’t played, and to break out of that box, the most interesting stuff is television,” Spencer said.
Angela Lansbury wasn’t a fan of Octavia Spencer’s ‘Murder, She Wrote’ reboot
As is the case with a few reboots, the new Murder, She Wrote attracted its fair share of criticism. But being the star of the original series, perhaps Lansbury’s criticisms carried more weight. In an interview with Variety, the veteran star opened up on why she wasn’t fond of Spencer’s version.
“I think it’s a mistake to call it Murder, She Wrote, because Murder, She Wrote will always be about a Cabot Cove and this wonderful little group of people who told those lovely stories and enjoyed a piece of that place, and also enjoyed Jessica Fletcher, who is a rare and very individual kind of person,” Lansbury said.
Her opinion of the reboot was so strong that, when the reboot was canceled, Lansbury couldn’t help be relieved.
“I knew it was a terrible mistake,” she told BBC. “I didn’t want to sully the memory.”
Lansbury also figured canceling the series would only benefit Spencer in the long run.
“Octavia Spencer is a superb actress. She had no business being put into a situation that she couldn’t win,” she said.
Octavia Spencer was also glad the ‘Murder, She Wrote’ reboot was canceled
Likewise, Spencer might’ve just been as relieved that the show didn’t make it to series. Even though The Help star once looked forward to the project, in hindsight she felt the show wouldn’t have been for her.
“You know, that would not have been the right fit for me,” Spencer told E! News. “Although I love Bob and everybody over at NBC, I think things happen as they’re supposed to. I am a detective and curious person by nature, that’s who I am and I always thought that’s who I wanted to play. But when you’re on a television show, it’s a marriage and when you take that vow to be on a series for seven years, it should be something that you want to see and a character you want to learn about, and with a group of people that you want to see for the next seven years.”
